Level indicating device for house trailers



Dec. 11, 3953 M. L. MUNDY 7 660,804

LEVEL INDICATING DEVICE FOR HOUSE TRAILERS Filed Jan. 26, 1952.

Wfl fmok. 1 129.49 8

Patented Dec. 1 1953 oFFIca H LEVEL INDICATING DEVICE FOR HOUSE TRAILERS Michael L. Mundy, North Bend, Nebr.

Application January 26, 1952, Serial No. 268,441

This invention relates to leveling devices for trailers and the like and particularly where trailers are attached to towing vehicles with hitches, and in particular this invention includes a level in combination with a graduated dial whereby with the dial set so that the level indicates the horizontal position of the floor of the trailer the dolly wheel of the hitch bar and the ball of the hitch socket may readily be adjusted to retain the floor of the trailer in a horizontal or level position.

The purpose of this invention is to provide permanent means whereby the floor of a trailer may be adjusted to a level position with the trailer stationary, or with the trailer attached to a towing vehicle for traveling.

It is generally understood that the floor of a trailer should be level for the best towing operations, and it is also more desirable to maintain the floor of the trailer level when the trailer is parked for use as living quarters. In numerous instances it is diilicult to obtain a spirit level or other means for determining whether or not the floor of a trailer is level, and when the trailer is positioned on uneven ground it is diificult to determine whether or not the floor is level with the eye.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a level mounting whereby a level is permanently positioned on hitch elements of a trailer so that one may readily determine when the floor of the trailer is level.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means whereby a level, such as a spirit level, may be permanently mounted on or in combination with a trailer hitch whereby the level may readily be adjusted to correspond with the floor of the trailer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a level mounting for permanently attaching a level to parts of a trailer hitch with which the level of the floor may be determined with the trailer in both traveling and parked positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a permanent level mounting for a trailer hitch in which the position of the level in the mounting is adjustable.

A still further object of the invention is to provide leveling means in combination with a trailer hitch which is adapted to remain permanently in position on the hitch without interfering with conventional hitch operating parts.

And a still further object of the invention as disclosed is to provide a permanent level mounting for a trailer hitch in which the mounting is of a simple and economical construction.

1 Claim.' (Cl. 33207) With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a backing or base plate having a clamp for attaching the plate to a dolly wheel post of a trailer hitch, a graduated plate pivotally mounted on said base plate, a level carried by the graduated plate, and a pin ex tended through registering openings in the graduated and base plates for retaining the graduated plate in adjusted positions on the base plate.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational View 01 a trailer hitch showing the improved level mounted on the and with the parts on an enlarged scale as in Figures 2 and 3.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the trailer hitch level mounting of this invention includes a base plate "It having a clamp l2 extended from the back thereof, a graduated plate lipivotally mounted on the base plate in with a stud it having a wing or thumb nut i8 threaded thereon, a pin 20 adapted to be inserted in openings 22 of the base plate It and 24 of the plate M for retaining the plate Hi in adjusted positions on the base plate it, and a level 26 which'is secured on a shelf 28 of the plate it with bands 36 and 32.

Both of the plates as and It are provided with circular upper portions and flat lower sides, and the intermediate portion 34 or" the plate l0 extends above the corresponding portion of the plate E i whereby a notch 38 in the edge of the plate it may be positioned to register with graduations 48' on the edge of theplate I4.

The openings 22 and 24 are provided in the plates on one side of the mounting and with additional openings 62, in the plate iii and 44 in the plate it, on the opposite side of the mounting, and with the openings :24 staggered in relation to the openings 42 comparatively minute adjustments may be made in the relative positions of the plates, thereby providing means for accurately setting the level so that it corresponds with the horizontal position of the fioor of the trailer.

The ends of the sections of the clamp l2 are provided with flanges 46 and 4B and a screw 56 is extended through an opening in the flange 48 and threaded into the flange 46 so that the base plates I0 may be clamped in operative position on a post 52 of a dolly wheel 54 of a hitch bar 56, as shown in Figure 1.

The post- 52 is provided with a hand cranl; 5%} for adjusting the e1evatien of the hitch bar in relation to the dolly wheel, and the hitch bar is provided with a socket 60 which is positioned to? receive a ball 62 on the upper end of a stud 6Q which is secured in a bar 66 of "a towing venicie; with a nut 68 that is threaded on the lower erid of the stud.

The elevation of the ball in relation to the bar What is claimed is:

A level indicator for use on a trailer hitch comprising a circular vertically positioned base plate having a fiat portion on the lower side and having a notch in the upper edge, a circular graduated plate also having a flat portion on the lower side positioned against the face of the base plate and having graduations thereon positioned to register with theriotch of the'base plate, said notch of the base plate being positioned in a plane perpendicular to said flat side and extended through the center. of said plates, a stud having si'tlrififiib nutthreoii mounted in the base plate 66 is adjusted with shims ll! te'e'empehsete 'foi the difierence between the elevation of the hitch bar and the bar 66.

With the parts arranged in this manner the level Z a with thegra'd'liated plate [4 and thebase HI, are eiam eefeh the ost and with "fitional level bn 'thefiojo'r of the trailer 7 is adjusted on the plate it! until the level? 25 eerrespenqe the conventional level on the. trailerfl'm'ir,and by" use of the wing'hut l8, and th p n" zaj'th i mere 14 is eeeii'red'ijni e. men on" the base were in? Witri'the 1'e'v'e1] 26 fixed t shii' th'fiobr of thetrailefis level the finer ei the'tiailif' may readily be adjusted with the harid'rarilififiwhen the traile'i is parked fof use as living'quarte'i'sfand with thefioor offth trailer acchrately' 'acljusted the ballot the hitchis' adjii'stdwith shirn's so that the'ball nests in'the hitch socket, whereby the floor of the trailer is alsoreadily adjusted for traveling.

Frem the foregoing description it is thought to "beobvidii's that a'level'ihg 'device forhouse trailers constructed in accordance with my inventibh is particularly well adep -eager. use by rea so'h of the ofivefiiehce' enareeinty withwhi ch itmay be assembled and operated, and it will also beobvioiis that my inventions susceptible of sdfneic 'n'ge' and modification withoht' departing, from thepiiriciplsand spirit threqf, and for tins reason I do not. wish to be understood as limiting 'ifii self ts the precise arrangement. and

' pen er the several parts herein shown in v s g but i'r'iyinvhtiijfiinpractice}except as andeirtended through the center of said graduated plate pivot/ally mounting the graduated plate on the base plate, said stud positioned whereby thflat portion of the graduated plate coincides with the flat portion of the base plate with a certain graduation of the graduated plate in e ist r lation w t e. n t h of the bas plate and wherein the upper edge of the gradu ated plate is spaced'from the upper edge of.- the base plate, said graduated plate having a hqri nta y disp sed hel xte d f o t a portion of the lower side, a level mounted on said shelf, d pla a in ws of spaced pe n s therethrough and said openingsbeing positioned n i e e n entr c w th he ce ter of the stud. a pin extended throughsaid openings for retainmg the plates in adjusted positions, and a clamp extended from said base plate.

MICHAEL L.

References Cited in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTS 

